Clutch.



E. H. CARROLL.v

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. I9I5.

1,266,55.. .Patented May 21,1918. v 2 SHEETS-'SHEET 1.

'i ZZ Mlaese. A 537m. '5E 9. I to Uneys.

E. H. CARROLL.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION HLED SERT. 9. 1915.

9266,55@ y Patented May 21,1918.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.ELBERT H. CARROLL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG'NOR T0A1&I0.`RG..1\l' CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, H. CARROLL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' Clutches, of which thefollowing, together with the accompanying drawings, isa specification.

The present invention relates to a clutch,

comprising a driving and a driven member,

with novel means for connecting said members to rotate in unison. Theessential features of my invention 4are fully set forth in the followingdescription, and pointed out in the annexedclaims, reference be ing hadto lthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view of a clutch' embodying my invention.

Fig. A2 isla similar view of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a similar View of another modi-l fication.'

Fig. 4 is a detail viewof an expanding and contracting ring, employed inconnection with each of the three yforms of devices illustratedrespectively in Figs. l, 2 and 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the differentgures.

Referring particularly .to Fig. 1, there is shown .a driving member orshaft 1, which isrotatable in either direction from any suitable sourceofpower, not shown. The form of device shown in Fig. 1 is concerned withthe provision of novel and improved means for transmitting, at will, therotation of the driving shaft 1, in either direction, to anaXially-alined driven member or shaft `2. To this end the shaft 1 haskeyed thereto a cylindrical block or hub 3, the face of which may berecessed, if desired, as at 4, to serve as ay journal bearing or supportfor the adjacent end of the driven shaft 2. The shaft 1 has also keyed`thereto, at a distance from the hub 3, a spider or disk 5 providing adrum or shell 6 spaced from and surrounding the periphery of said hub.The shell 6 is preferably attached to the spider 5 by bolts 7 or thelike, to permit access to the interior of the clutch without dismantlingthe same, but obviou-sly the shell and spider may be integral ifdesired.

Keyed to the driven shaft 2 is a collar 8, having a Iiange 9 coeXtensivewith the specification of Letters Patent.'

, shown at 13',

cLU'rcIr.

Patented May 21, 1918.

`Application led September 9, 1915. Serial No.`r49,8201.

outer periphery of the shell 6, as shown. In the space between the hub 3and shell 6 is disposed a spring 10 consisting of a spirally wound bandwhich may, if desired, gradually taper in thickness from the end nearest.fthe ange 9. The width of the band, 'measured radially of the axis ofshaft 1 is slightly less than the width of thespace between the hub andthe shell, so that the convolutions of 'the spring do not quite lillsaid space. The large end of the band is attached by a pin 11, or othersuitable means, to the flange 9, while the small end of said band isattached by a pin 12, or other suitable means, to a split or parted ring13 near one free end `of the latter, as

Fig. 4. This ring is received loosely in oppositely facing recesses inthe inner periphery of the shell 6 and the circumference of the hub 3,respectively.

The free ends of said ring 13 are connected b a right and left-handscrew, or turn-buckle 14, operated by a lever 15 attached to the samebetween saidfree ends. Theother `end of the lever 15 is received looselywithin a groove 16 on a collar 17, splined to shaft l, and slidable backand forth in the space between hub 3 and spider 5 by means of suitableshipper mechanism indlcated by the numeral 18, said collar beingconnected to the shipper mechanism by a sliding bar 18. The movement ofthe collar 17 to the left, Fig. 1, causes the turnbuckle 14 -to expandring 13, causing its outer periphery to make frictional contact with theshell 6; the movement of said collar to its extreme right hand position,Fig. 1, contracts said ring, causing its inner periphery to makefrictional contact. with the hub 3, While the retention of said collarin an intermediate position prevents operativefrictional contact of saidring with either of said rotating parts.

The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows z-Assumingthe shaft 1 to be rotating in a counterclockwise direction, indicated bythe arrow A, F ig. l, itl lwill be clear'that with the collar 17 moved-into either eXtreme position, the ring 13 by reason of its engagementeither with the close Ifrictional engagement with the hub 3. As the bandis thus drawn up upon the hub, in both instances, the rotation of thelatter is imparted to the band, and through said band without shock tothe collar 8 and driven shaft 2, tofrotate the latter in the samedirection as driving shaft 1. When the collar 17 is held in anintermediate position, the ring 13 and Spring 10 will not grip tightlyon either the hub 3 or shell 6.

Assuming the shaft -1 to be rotating in a clockwise direction, oppositetol that indicated by the arrowA Fig. 1, it will be clear that with thecollar 17 moved into either extreme position, lthe ring 13, for thereasons above set forth, will be caused to rotate in the same directionas the shaft, in both instances. In both instances, therefore, theinitial rotation of said ring will serve to expand the convolutions ofband 10 into close frictional engagement with the inner periphery of theshell 6, causing the band, and* with it the collar 8 and driven shaft 2,to rotate in the samefY direction 'as the driving shaft l. As before,the ldisposition of the collar 17 in an intermediate position y set fortwork or hanger,

renders the band 10 inoperative as aclutching device.

It will be vclear then, that irrespective of the direction in which thedriving shaft 1 is rotating, the disposition of the collar 17 in eitherof' its extreme positions will cause the rotation` of shaft 1 to beimparted; without shock, to drive the shaft 2 in the same direction.Moreover a reversal in the rotation of the' driving shaft 1,whenthelatter is rotating in either direction, iscommunicated to the drivenshaft without shock, being accompanied merely by the movement of theband 10 out of frictional gripping contact with eitheri hub 3 or shell6, and into engagement with the other of said parts. 0bviously, thestatements made above hold true, when the shaft 2, instead of the shaft1 is used as a driving member, as, for instance, by securinga drivingpulley on the flange 9 of collar 8.

In Fi 2, the application of the principles above is disclosed inconnection with a braking device for stopping the rotation of the drivenshaft after .the release of the clutching mechanism. In-the form ofdevice shown, the spider 5 and shell 6 shown in Fig. 1, are omitted, astationary sleeve 19, secured by iianges 20, 20 to a fixed framebeingdisposed in surroundin relation to the hub 3 and band 10. The oter partsare substantially of the form shown in Fig. 1. In the form of deviceshown in Fig. 2, assuming the 'shaftto be rotating in a clockwisedirection,l indicated by the arrow A, the movement of collar 17 to itsextreme right hand position, causes the band 10 to be drawn tight on hub3, with the result that shaft 2'will be driven inthe same direction asshaft 1. In the interymediate position of collar 17, the'clutchingmechanism is rendered inoperative, by vdis- Connecting the shaft 2 fromthe shaft 1. If

the left hand movement of the collar 17 is continued, to carry the sameinto its extreme left hand position, the ring 13 is expanded .intocontact with the stationary sleeve 19,

known means, as by gears 22 and 23 and an interposed idler 24.. Al gear25 on said countershaft meshes with a ear 26- on a shell 27 surroundingthe hug 3, to drive said shell in the direction opposite to that inwhich shaft 1 is rotating. The shell 27 is attached to a Aspider 28,journaled for lrotation independently of shaft 1, in a bearing 29.Assuming the Vrotation of shaft 1 in a counter-clockwise direction asshown by arrow A, it will be clear that the shell 27 will always rotatein the reverse direction. The movement of the collar 17 into it'sextreme right hand position causes the band 10 to tig,4 ten on the hub3, thereby effecting the rotation of the driven shaft 2 in the samedirection as shaft 1 and at the same speed. In the intermediate positionof said collar, as vpreviously set forth, there is no connectionestablished between the shafts -1 and 2. In the extreme left handposition of said colllar, the ring 13 rotates with the re- -verselyrotating shell 27, causing the band 10 to expand into contact with saidshell, and drivingnthe shaft 2 in the opposite direction to shaft 1, andat a speed depend ent entirely upon the ratio of the gearing -connectingshaft 1 to the shell 27, y

I claim 1. In a mechanism of the character described; a driving memberand a driven member, a' clutching device attached to one of saidmembers, said device presenting opposing frictionalclutching surfaces,means associated with the other of said members in position foroperative engagement with each of said clutching surfaces, and means forselectively operating said device to render either of said clutchingsurfaces operative.

\ 2., In a mechanism of the character described, a driving member and `adriven member, a clutching device 'attached to one' of said members,said device presenting inner and outer frictional clutching surfaces,means, associated with the other of said members in position foroperative engagement with each of said clutching surfaces,- and meansfor expanding or' contracting said device to render one or the other ofsaid clutching surfaces operative.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, a driving member andadriven member, a clutching device attached to one of said members, saiddevice comprising a fiexible band surrounding the other member, an outermember surrounding said band, and means for selectively operating saidband' to effect its engagement With each of said last mentioned members.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, a driving member and a drivenmember, a clutchingdevice attached 'to said driven member and presentinginner and outer frictional clutching surfaces, and means movable intofrictional contact with said drivin member for rendering either of saidclutching surfaces operative, depending upon-the direction of rotationof said driving member.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, a driving member and a drivenmember, a clutching device attached to said driven .member andpresenting inner and outer frictional clutching surfaces, one of whichis adapted for engagement with said driving member, and a memberproviding a surface for engagement by the other clutching surface ofsaid clutching device.

6. In a mechanism of the class described,

a driving member and a driven member,

ses

one of said members providing an annular space, a spiral band attachedto the other member 'and disposed within' said space, and means forexpanding or contracting said band to effectY its frictional engagementwith the outer or the inner surface of said space.

7 In a. mechanism of the class described,-

a driving member and a driven member, one of said members providing anannular space, a spiral band attached to the other space, a spiralbandattached to the othermember and disposed within said space, and means,attached to said band and movable into frictional contact With saiddriving member, for expanding o r contracting said band into frictionalengagement with the outer or the inner surface of said space, de-

pending upon the direction of rotation of said rdriving member.

. 9. In a mechanism of the class described, a driving member-and adriven member, one of said members providing an annular space, a spiralband attached to the other member and disposed within said space, and

an expansible and contractible member for engagement With said drivingmember, for effecting the frictional engagement of said band with theouter or inner surface of said space, depending upon the direction ofrotation of said driving member.

10. In a mechanism of the class described, a driving member and a drivenmember, and a spiral band-attached to said driven member and presentinginner and outer frictional clutching surfaces for engagementrespectively With corresponding surfaces on said driving member.

Dated this fourth day of Se tember, 1915.

ELBERT H. SARROLL. Witnesses:

WILLARD A. WINN, GLADYS M. Warm.

